[JediMasterTim]

What exactly is the process of getting a model from Blender into Freespace?  I have a really simple UV mapped model (just a flat plane) that I want to make into a ship.  Are their any tutorials on this anywhere? 

[Warp Shadow]

Here's how I do it. Once you have the model done press tab to go into object mode, select the model so that there is a pink outline around it and select from the top bar menu: export->.3ds and go to truespace and select import and import that .3ds. Apply whatever you need and then save it as a .cob file (not a scene). You can now edit it using pcs (or pcs 2) to give it gunpoints and such. Just remember to convert the models and it will be fine. You're basically just going.

.blend->.3ds->.cob->.pof

Also, remember to put the name of your new model into the .ships tbl or it won't be loaded by the game!
Clear as mud? Good. Have fun!

[JediMasterTim]

Thanks for replying.  I did as you said and exported it as a 3DS.  I then imported it into Truespace, but it says it is unable to find the texture map.  Am I going to have to retexture it in Truespace or am I doing something wrong?

[Warp Shadow]

That's because truespace only looks for files in it's own texture folder, you can either a. just select browse, find the image you used for the texture map and click it or b. move the file through a lot of folders and place it into the correct one. I personally just do a. but it's really up to you.

[bizzybody]

trueSpace didn't get texture path searching and appending until (IIRC) 4.2 or 4.3. With 3.2 it's easiest to just toss all your textures into the default textures path.

[Kazan]

you get killed by me in a ritual sacrifice - that is how

[Warp Shadow]

Well yeah bu I use a later version so thats how I do it

[Vasudan Admiral]

Been out of the loop for a few days or I would have replied to this earlier. Firstly to remind Kaz that his skewed opinion of blender is soley based on a small error in the export function of a bizzare outdated format that was fixed the version later and has been fixed for the past 6 years or so, and I'd also like to point out that PCS1 produced faulty collision detection data long after the DXF export error was fixed anyway.

As for the export method, Warp Shadow's will work, but there is now a COB-export python script modified by Water that saves a COB that can be directly converted to POF using PCS2. It can't correctly export hierarchy, but it does keep the objects correctly separate. This means we can bypass truecrap and all the pain, misery and instabilities it brings and just do the hierarchy in PCS2. All the cobs I've converted using this method have been 100% stable collision mesh data-wise as far as I've been able to tell.

The one thing you might have a bit of trouble with is that before export, you need to apply the scaling and rotation (ctrl+A) that has been applied to the objects in the ship or they will return to their original size and orientation during export.

The python file is here: http://www.sectorgame.com/ti-file-dump/VasudanAdmiral/truespace_FS2_basic-export.py
Put it in your "<blender install directory>\.blender\scripts" folder and it will add "Truespace Basic -FS2- (.cob)" to your export list.

If for whatever reason you absolutely need to get your ship into truecrap before conversion, the best way to do it is either directly open the cob the script exports, or use the Direct X format (.X) and save it as a cob using 3d exploration. This method retains everything but the hierarchy.

[Warp Shadow]

Yeah. Now I feel a little silly because I'm stuck with truespace 3.2 for a while and now I have NO idea how to get my texture from blender into truecrap. Will that python script save the texture too? Oh and how do you actually download it. All I get is a bunch of text and no .py files.

[Water]

Yeah. Now I feel a little silly because I'm stuck with truespace 3.2 for a while and now I have NO idea how to get my texture from blender into truecrap. Will that python script save the texture too? Oh and how do you actually download it. All I get is a bunch of text and no .py files.

Don't just click on the link - use "save link as" (or equivalant)
No the script won't save the texture but all you have to do is move it to Truespaces texture directory, so it can find it.

[Warp Shadow]

You see though, it keeps asking for a .scene file for it and I guess that is something that gets saved when you make it in 3ds max but blender doesn't make one of those. I guess the entire problem would be completely avoided if I just exported to .cob though.

edit: I tried doing what you said but when I try to export it as a .cob I get an error and a message to check the console.

[Vasudan Admiral]

The blender console is that dos window that opens up with blender - check there for what the error says.

[Water]

edit: I tried doing what you said but when I try to export it as a .cob I get an error and a message to check the console.

umm oops - For that script you may need to install Python on your machine.
python.org

[JediMasterTim]

Thanks a lot for the script.  I ended up using LithUnwrap to export the COB, but this is much easier.  Now I just need to figure out turrets and I'll be all set.

[esarai]

Once you have the model done press tab to go into object mode, select the model so that there is a pink outline around it and select from the top bar menu: export->.3ds and go to truespace and select import and import that .3ds.

.blend->.3ds->.cob->.pof

Also, remember to put the name of your new model into the .ships tbl or it won't be loaded by the game!
Clear as mud? Good. Have fun!

I have two things i would like to discuss, the first being that when i do the .3ds -> .cob step of this conversion from blender, trueCrap asks me for a file called "tor_". does anybody know what the hell trueCrap is asking me for?

Second, I've tried blender's .cob exporter, and i can make it work, its just that when the file is converted to .pof, all the subobjects now have the same object center as the main hull and fail to act as turrets. Any ideas on how to remedy this? All comments and advice is greatly appreciated.

[nexiusevaro]

Water has a new hierarchy exporter for blender - prolly help keeping the objects separated for turreting appropriately.

  Just a noob here and just working thru the blender to pcs hierarchy fighter setup myself (and struggling) so i haven't much help to offer... - other than this link....


http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,52264.0.html


it has the newer blender cob exporter on the second page- gl

nex

[Water]

Second, I've tried blender's .cob exporter, and i can make it work, its just that when the file is converted to .pof, all the subobjects now have the same object center as the main hull and fail to act as turrets. Any ideas on how to remedy this? All comments and advice is greatly appreciated.

For cap ship Turrets, this is the export script to use.
http://files.filefront.com/truespace+FS2+Hierarchy+etzip/;9692727;/fileinfo.html
Needs heirarchy setup in the Blend file to function. In Blender, CTRL-p to make the last object selected the parent and ALT-p to clear parent.

Here is a test model with heirarchy (Blend 2.65mb)
http://files.filefront.com/yamato100zip/;9756708;/fileinfo.html
It has 27 turrets with arms, so it's a bit over the top. May be useful to look at though. It shows the turret setup and naming and the use of lamps, which PCS2 will turn into firepoints.

[esarai]

wowie. Thanks a lot. I can get the turrets to appear properly after much flipflopping in the base blender model now, but the firepoints didn't get converted. Do the turret names have to follow the format "turret01-base" "turret01-arms" "turret01-fp0x"?  Anyhow, thanks a lot.

[Water]

wowie. Thanks a lot. I can get the turrets to appear properly after much flipflopping in the base blender model now, but the firepoints didn't get converted. Do the turret names have to follow the format "turret01-base" "turret01-arms" "turret01-fp0x"?  Anyhow, thanks a lot.

For multi-part turrets - yes
For the simple turrets, just  "turret01" and the firepoint "turret01-fp00"

Just noticed that PCS2, when it saves a cob, starts the fire point numbering from -fp00

[esarai]

okay, i've got everything working right except for the textures. when i use the POF constructor suite to make the final POF, only five of the twelve textures used are interpreted and saved into the pof by PCS. Any idea as to what's up with that? all of the textures used are game texures, so i can't be missing any specialized maps.

Another thing I would like to know is how to find/edit the names of all my turrets, so I can write the .tbl file correctly.

Is it a bad thing when i tell ModelView to "rotate parts" and nothing moves?

Again, all help is greatly appreciated.